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Musculoskeletal Sports and Spine Disorders pp 277–279Cite as

Quadriceps Tears and Tendon Ruptures

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Abstract

A quadriceps tendon tear or rupture is a break in the tendon connecting the quadriceps muscle to the patella. This injury frequently occurs in males over 40 years old, patients with systemic inflammatory conditions, and athletes who frequently jump. Partial tears may be difficult to diagnose on physical examination, and ultrasound or MRI may be diagnostic. Acute knee pain, difficulty with knee extension, and a low riding patella characterize full thickness tears, which can be visualized on lateral X-rays. Incomplete tears may be treated conservatively, while full thickness tears and incomplete tears with functional deficits require surgical intervention.

Keywords

  • Quadriceps tear
  • Quadriceps rupture
  • Knee pain
  • Tendinosis
  • Patella baja
  • Knee extension abnormality
  • Knee surgery
  • Ligament pathology

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Ann H. Lichtenstein DO

  2. Elmhurst Hospital Center, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Elmhurst, NY, USA

    Jeffery Fine MD

Authors
  1. Ann H. Lichtenstein DO
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  2. Jeffery Fine MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ann H. Lichtenstein DO .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA

    MD Stuart B. Kahn

  2. Interventional Pain Management, San Antonio, Texas, USA

    MD Rachel Yinfei Xu

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© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

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Lichtenstein, A.H., Fine, J. (2017). Quadriceps Tears and Tendon Ruptures. In: Kahn, S., Xu, R. (eds) Musculoskeletal Sports and Spine Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50512-1_62

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50512-1_62

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-50510-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-50512-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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